Dear Friends,
August is a month filled with many important saints, very diverse in life, and worthy of reflection and imitation. I wish to make a brief mention of four male and four female saints of August.
Today, August 4, is the feast of St. John Marie Vianney, the patron of parish priests. The significance and the beauty of this simple parish priest who spent 41 years serving the people of Ars, France, is not because he founded any religious order or left us an abundant collection of brilliant theological writings. It was his simple witness of being a faithful, zealous, and loving parish priest who helped countless souls through the healing ministry in the confessional.
August 8 is the feast of St. Dominic who was appalled at the spiritual horrors wrought by the Albigensian heresy which, among other things, taught that the physical world was evil – despite the fact that Jesus chose to live in it Himself. Dominic set out to counter this heresy with truth. His humility, fatherly kindness, patience and joyfulness under persecution impressed even his enemies.
On August 9 we honor Edith Stein (St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross) who is a great model for today’s young generation who seek the truth. A brilliant philosopher who stopped believing in God when she was 14, Edith Stein was so captivated by reading the autobiography of Teresa of Avila that she began a spiritual journey that led her from her Jewish family to her baptism.
August 10 is the feast of St. Lawrence, the patron of deacons. The esteem in which the Church holds Deacon Lawrence is seen in the fact that today’s celebration ranks as a feast. He was a Roman deacon under Pope Saint Sixtus II. Four days after this pope was put to death, Lawrence and four clerics suffered martyrdom. We wish happy feast to our own wonderful Deacons Ron Caimi, Russ Demkovitz and John Radvanski and thank them for their diaconate ministry to our parish community.
August 11 is the feast of St. Clare who was mentored by St. Francis of Assisi himself. The 41 years of Clare’s religious life are scenarios of sanctity: an indomitable resolve to lead the simple, literal gospel life; courageous resistance to the ever-present pressure to dilute the ideal; a passion for poverty and humility; an ardent life of prayer; and a generous concern for her sisters.
St. Rose of Lima is honored on August 23. This first canonized saint of the New World lived a simple life and yet had to suffer so much opposition. Her life, like that of St. Clare, can challenge our lifestyle of indulging in too much food and drink, using a million gadgets, filling our eyes and ears with useless needs on which to spend our money.
St. Monica is honored on August 27. If succumbed to her circumstances, she could have turned out to be a nagging wife, a bitter daughter-in-law, and a despairing parent, yet she did not give way to any of these temptations. She is a model of patient waiting and persevering prayer that finally led to the conversion of her hot-tempered husband and her brilliant but wayward son,
St. Augustine’s feast is on August 28. He is a sinner-turned-saint. Whether we acclaim him or condemn him, he challenges us to scrap escapisms and stand face-to-face with personal responsibility and dignity.
These eight saints challenge us to practice patience and wait on God’s time. Today, with Google searches, online shopping, text messages, tweets, and instant gratification, we have little patience for things that take time. It seems that when we have become most like slaves, there is the greatest talk of “freedom.” Are we willing to accept the challenge from these saints?
Your brother in Christ,
Fr. Abraham Orapankal